this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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Explain Like I'm Five

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Hello everyone, I'm hoping to gain some insight regarding a privacy concern. I'm always mindful of the possibility that my biometric fingerprint, which I use regularly, could be accessed by someone if I were compelled to use it. For context, I'm not a criminal or particularly tech-savvy, and I'm relatively new to the world of privacy and FOSS applications. I currently use a Samsung phone. I've found that enabling Lockdown mode at night without needing to restart my device prevents anyone from accessing my phone while I sleep. However, my concern stems from a different scenario. Recently, while shopping, I experienced a sudden medical episode and lost consciousness for about ten minutes. During that time, shopkeepers assisted me. I'm worried that in such a vulnerable state, if someone were to misuse my biometric data, they could gain access to all my passwords and personal information, which feels unsafe. While I do value the convenience of biometrics, I'm seeking alternative solutions. Is there a way to prevent my phone from being opened using my fingerprint, even in urgent situations, without completely disabling biometric authentication? Thanks in advance.

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[–] 667@lemmy.radio 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Depending on your phone OS, iOS supports disabling biometrics if one repeatedly clicks the lock button. But this only narrows the attack surface, and relies on you having the wherewithal to recognize a situation when this needs to be done, or even being in a situation where you’d be able to.

[–] filcuk@lemmy.zip 1 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Not sure if this is Samsung or Android, but one can enable lockdown mode and trigger it through power options (hold power/lock button)

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 2 points 1 day ago

Be careful: repeatedly pressing the lock button on many new phones will auto-dial 911.